The original Island Gardens DLR station was opened on 31 August 1987 as the southern terminus of the initial system.

[citation needed] On 10 March 1987, before the system opened, a test train crashed through buffer stops at the original high-level terminus and was left hanging from the end of the elevated track.

The accident was caused by unauthorised tests being run before the correct installation of the wayside safety system had been verified; an omission in the wayside system allowed the train to travel too fast on the approach to the terminus.

In January 1999, the original Island Gardens station was closed, to allow construction of the connection to the extension to continue.

[15] Island Gardens station reopened in November 1999 as part of the opening of the DLR extension to Lewisham.